The historic West Pier is on the verge of collapse after a large section crashed into the sea.

Debris from the Grade I listed building was washed on to the shoreline where it was picked up by souvenir hunters.

Experts have long predicted the pier would not survive further pounding from the elements and these fears were proved right yesterday morning.

A temporary walkway connecting the concert hall and the pavilion - put in by engineers in 1998 to help strengthen the structure - collapsed and original poles holding the concert hall in place fell into the sea, leaving part of the hall hanging precariously above the surf.

Attention is now focusing on the weather to see if the rest of the landmark will be swept away.

The pier's owners said they intended to continue with their ambitious £30 million restoration plans.

A spokeswoman for the Trust said today: "Obviously, the pier is enormously precarious and it is difficult to say what will happen next.

"The first thing has to be to decide what the best way forward is. We have been talking to the engineers, English Heritage and the Lottery fund over the weekend.

"I think the plans will move more swiftly than they had been, judging from the responses I have had."

But they said delays, caused by legal action by the rival Palace Pier, was to blame for the collapse as work would have already begun.

Geoff Lockwood, chief executive of the Brighton West Pier Trust, who is working with St Modwen to develop the site and build leisure buildings alongside, said: "What we don't know is what will happen now. It is a grand old structure and it has survived for a long time so it might be all right.

"Unfortunately the engineers, who have long predicted this, can't get out there to have a look until the new year so we won't know how bad the damage is until then."

Dr Lockwood said the collapse was caused by "slow erosion" over a number of years rather than a particularly bad storm but it could have been prevented if the planning process had not been delayed.

The Noble Organisation, which runs the Palace Pier, complained to the European Commission that plans to use £14.2 million of Lottery money for a largely commercial venture was "unfair competition".

The commission ruled against Noble - a decision which is being appealed in the European Courts.

Mr Lockwood said: "This collapse is due to the fact we lost a year on the planning of the restoration due to legal action by the owners of the other pier.

"The important thing is to get on with the restoration rather than waste more time and money trying to patch it up.

"What happened yesterday doesn't affect the plans and it doesn't affect the funding and I don't think it will affect our finances that much.

"It is sad to see the pier damaged but in terms of restoration plans it is not crucial."

David Biesterfield, a director of Noble, said: "We did not and have never opposed the restoration of the West Pier per se.

"Our objection is aimed at the commercial development, which is state-funded. This was to be a state-funded commercial project. That is what we objected to."

Sue Paskins, of Save our Seafront, which seeks to protect the sea views and view of the West Pier, said: "We are sorry to see it in this state but you have to realise it was never going to be a renovated West Pier. It was always going to be a rebuilt West Pier.

"It is not going to change our views. There is no point having a restoration plan if you are going to ruin the seafront. We must maintain these wonderful open sea views."

The section of pier which collapsed was the last piece to be built in 1916.

A spokeswoman for Sussex Police said there were no reports of any injuries resulting from the incident.

Solent Coastguard said a unit had been standing by near the pier to warn passing boats of debris in the water.

In July, we reported that Dr Simon Thurley, chief executive of English Heritage, warned the pier would be lost forever if restoration work was not immediately carried out.

Earlier this month, Hove-based civil engineers the Hemsley Orrell Partnership - which carried out a survey of the pier - warned it would not survive storms.